Pole, podiums and points: An Optimum weekend at British GT’s Silverstone 500
British GT’s big one, the Silverstone 500 always brings drama, bold strategy calls and action-packed racing, and the weekend’s blue riband event certainly wasn’t an exception to that as three of Optimum’s four McLarens finished the three-hour enduro on the podium…but it was a race of what could’ve been.
Free Practice 1 kickstarted another unusually dry British GT weekend. Kirchhöfer set the pace in the morning’s session in the #77 McLaren GT3 EVO, and later went on to not only better his previous lap time, but also set the series’ fastest-ever lap around Silverstone during qualifying. His efforts, along with teammate Tillbrook, saw the duo claim pole position for the start of Sunday’s main event.
But it wasn’t just Optimum’s #77 McLaren on pole, last year’s GT4-winning #90 Artura followed suit - albeit, on Pro-Am pole, but still on the front row in second, respectfully.
It was a fairly uneventful start to the 500 come Sunday afternoon. Tillbrook led out front, holding off 2 Seas’ Merc in the opening stint. Price held position in the Forelle Estates-supported #3 McLaren further back in twelfth in the middle of the 21-car GT3 pack. Despite an early setback with contact from behind for the two-time Silverstone 500 winning #90 Artura, Marc recovered to move up to third, passing the sister #17 before the first caution of the race.
An FCY (Full Course Yellow) period whilst Price and Macleod’s McLaren was recovered from the track following a spin saw most of the field box to change drivers. The intervention of the Safety Car shortly after meant the likes of Kirchhöfer, Brown and Hopkinson capitalised from their teammates boxing under the caution where other front runners had pitted before the action had been neutralised.
No sooner had the Safety Car come back into the pits…it was near enough back out. This time contact between Abba’s Merc and the Spirit of Race Ferrari brought the second FCY / Safety Car period and once again the pitlane was packed as back in went the starting drivers.
It wasn’t until the third, and final Safety Car intervention when the phrase ‘caution to the wind’ really came into play. Tillbrook pitted from the lead to hand back over to Kirchhöfer. Optimum’s duo of GT4s followed suit with Jack and Luca back behind the wheel of their respective Arturas.
Upon exiting the pits, an incorrectly shown red light - to which should have been green - saw overall contenders including the #77 McLaren stationary in the pitlane for approximately 20 seconds, allowing the eventual race-winning Paradine BMW and 2 Seas’ #42 Merc to pass by, as well as GT4 back markers.
Kirchhöfer was rapid out the pits when it eventually went green in the hunt to regain the lead. Although only able to cross the line third on the road at the chequered flag, he claimed the fastest lap of the race in his chase for the overall glory.
Having won the Silverstone 500 twice in as many attempts with Optimum, on this occasion Jack Brown had to settle for second, having served the maximum success penalty in their final stop following he and new teammate, Marc’s win at round one at Donington Park. The sister GT4 narrowly missed out on the overall GT4 podium, finishing in fourth, but claimed a second-place finish amongst the silver drivers’ category - to which they now sit third in the championship standings of.
British GT’s action resumes in just under four weeks’ time at Oulton Park where it’s usual format of a duo of one-hour races will take place on latter of May’s Bank Holiday Mondays.
British GT’s big one, the Silverstone 500 always brings drama, bold strategy calls and action-packed racing, and the weekend’s blue riband event certainly wasn’t an exception to that as three of Optimum’s four McLarens finished the three-hour enduro on the podium…but it was a race of what could’ve been.
Free Practice 1 kickstarted another unusually dry British GT weekend. Kirchhöfer set the pace in the morning’s session in the #77 McLaren GT3 EVO, and later went on to not only better his previous lap time, but also set the series’ fastest-ever lap around Silverstone during qualifying. His efforts, along with teammate Tillbrook, saw the duo claim pole position for the start of Sunday’s main event.
But it wasn’t just Optimum’s #77 McLaren on pole, last year’s GT4-winning #90 Artura followed suit - albeit, on Pro-Am pole, but still on the front row in second, respectfully.
It was a fairly uneventful start to the 500 come Sunday afternoon. Tillbrook led out front, holding off 2 Seas’ Merc in the opening stint. Price held position in the Forelle Estates-supported #3 McLaren further back in twelfth in the middle of the 21-car GT3 pack. Despite an early setback with contact from behind for the two-time Silverstone 500 winning #90 Artura, Marc recovered to move up to third, passing the sister #17 before the first caution of the race.
An FCY (Full Course Yellow) period whilst Price and Macleod’s McLaren was recovered from the track following a spin saw most of the field box to change drivers. The intervention of the Safety Car shortly after meant the likes of Kirchhöfer, Brown and Hopkinson capitalised from their teammates boxing under the caution where other front runners had pitted before the action had been neutralised.
No sooner had the Safety Car come back into the pits…it was near enough back out. This time contact between Abba’s Merc and the Spirit of Race Ferrari brought the second FCY / Safety Car period and once again the pitlane was packed as back in went the starting drivers.
It wasn’t until the third, and final Safety Car intervention when the phrase ‘caution to the wind’ really came into play. Tillbrook pitted from the lead to hand back over to Kirchhöfer. Optimum’s duo of GT4s followed suit with Jack and Luca back behind the wheel of their respective Arturas.
Upon exiting the pits, an incorrectly shown red light - to which should have been green - saw overall contenders including the #77 McLaren stationary in the pitlane for approximately 20 seconds, allowing the eventual race-winning Paradine BMW and 2 Seas’ #42 Merc to pass by, as well as GT4 back markers.
Kirchhöfer was rapid out the pits when it eventually went green in the hunt to regain the lead. Although only able to cross the line third on the road at the chequered flag, he claimed the fastest lap of the race in his chase for the overall glory.
Having won the Silverstone 500 twice in as many attempts with Optimum, on this occasion Jack Brown had to settle for second, having served the maximum success penalty in their final stop following he and new teammate, Marc’s win at round one at Donington Park. The sister GT4 narrowly missed out on the overall GT4 podium, finishing in fourth, but claimed a second-place finish amongst the silver drivers’ category - to which they now sit third in the championship standings of.
British GT’s action resumes in just under four weeks’ time at Oulton Park where it’s usual format of a duo of one-hour races will take place on latter of May’s Bank Holiday Mondays.
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